Israel-Palestinian Peace Process: Israel Releases Palestinian Prisoners in "Confidence-Building" Measure
(Updated January 2014)
In August 2013, the Israeli Cabinet agreed on a four-stage process to release 104 Palestinian prisoners in a "confidence-building" measure aimed at boosting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. All of the prisoners slated for release were convicted of terrorism against Israel, most before the signing of the Oslo Accords in September 1993. Majority of the prisoners were directly involved in murder and many were serving life sentences.
On August 13, 2013, the names of the first 26 Palestinian prisoners to be released was made public (Table 3). On October 27, 2013, the second round of prisoners was also released (Table 2). On December 31, 2013, the third round of prisoners were released (Table 1).
Prisoner * | Date of Arrest | Crime |
Muhammad Yusuf Adnan Elafandi | May 13, 1992 | Attempted murder of two youths in Jerusalem |
Farid Ahmed Shahade | February 16, 1985 | Murder of Yosef Farhan, a suspected collaborator, in Jaffa. |
Muhammad Ouda Ramadan Yakoub | April 1, 1993 | Murder of Sara Sharon (37) in Holon |
Mustafa Ahmad Muhammad Afana | April 1, 1993 | Murder of Sara Sharon (37) in Holon |
Mustafa Mahmoud Faisal Abu al Rub | September 25, 1991 | Murder of IDF soldier Yoram Cohen (20) in Jenin; charged with manslaughter in four deaths of suspected Palestinian collaborators |
Awad Ali Ahmad Kamil | September 29, 1993 | Murder of IDF soldier Yoram Cohen (20) in Jenin; Murder of 15 suspected Palestinian collaborators |
Ibrahim Mustafa Bilal Damara | June 19, 1989 | Murder of Friedrich Rosenfeld (48), a US-born immigrant, in Ariel |
Khaled Ibrahim Jamal Abu-Mohsin | October 4, 1991 | Murder of Shlomo Yahya (76) in Moshav Kadima |
Rushdi Muhammad Sa’id Tamimi | November 9, 1993 | Kidnapping and murder of Hayim Mizrahi outside Beit El |
Khaled Kamel Osama Silawi | February 16, 1993 | Murder of Motti Biton; Murder/Manslaughter in the deaths of four suspected Palestinian collaborators |
Sudqi Abdel Razeq Mouhlas Sawafta | March 9, 1991 | Murder of Yosef Malka (Malkin) in Haifa |
Fawzi Mustafa Nasser Barham | December 20, 1993 | Murder of Morris (Moshe) Edri (65) |
Yusuf Ahmed Nu’aman Al-Shalvi | May 13, 1992 | Murder of three suspected Palestinian collaborators |
Mahmad Anis Aiman Jaradat | April 24, 1993 | Murder/manslaughter of five suspected Palestinian collaborators |
Mahmad Naim Shawmra Yunis | March 14, 1995 | Murder of Police sapper Yosef Hayun in Moshav Shekef |
Mahmud Muhammad Salman | May 6, 1994 | Murder of Shai Shoker outside Tira |
Ahmed Ibrahim Jamal Abu-Jamal | May 24, 1994 | Attempted murder |
Mahmoud Ibrahim Abu-Ali Faiz | August 10, 1994 | Murder of Roni Levi |
Zaki Rami Barbakh Jawdat | October 7, 1994 | Murder of Yosef Zandani |
Mustafa Ahmed Khaled Jumaa | November 23, 1992 | Aggravated Assault; was slated for release in February 2014 |
Muhammad Yassin Yassin Abu-Hadir | January 1, 1988 | Murder of Yigal Shahaf (24) in Jerusalem's Old City |
Muhammad Mahmoud Muammar Ata | February 24, 1992 | Murder of Menahem Stern (64) in Jerusalem; Murder of a suspected Palestinian collaborator |
Salah Khalil Ahmad Ibrahim | July 9, 1992 | Murder of Menahem Stern (64) in Jerusalem; Murder of Eli Amsalem; Murder of a suspected Palestinian collaborator |
Lutfi Halma Ibrahim Taqtuq | March 3, 1989 | Murder of IDF soldier Benjamin Meisner in Nablus |
Ahmad Yusuf Bilal Abu-Hassin | December 20, 1988 | Murder of a suspected Palestinian collaborator |
Da’agna Nufal Mahmad Mahmoud | March 16, 1993 | Murder of Sara Sharon (37) in Holon |
Prisoner * | Date of Arrest | Crime |
Mahmoud Ibrahim Nasr | May 11, 1985 | Murder of IDF soldier Aharon Avidar (29) in Ramallah area |
Rafi Farhoud Karajeh | May 20, 1985 | Murder of IDF soldier Aharon Avidar (29) in Ramallah area |
Mohamed Ahmed al-Sabbag | January 23, 1991 | Torture and murder of Hassan Katabia and Lutfi Sa'adi, two Palestinian men suspected of collaborating with Israel. |
Hazem Kassem Shbair | March 30, 1994 | Murder of Isaac Rotenberg |
Hilmi Hamad al-Amawi | December 29, 1993 | Murder of Yigal Vaknin |
Mohammed Ahmed Sa'ad Damouni | September 24, 1990 | Murder of IDF reservist Amnon Pomerantz in the Gaza Strip |
Mahmoud Youssef Awwad Masalha | September 25, 1993 | Murder of David Rueven and Yigal Vaknin |
Atik Sharif Hassan Abu Dhailah | May 19, 1992 | Murder of Avi Osher, his Israeli employer at a Jordan Valley farm |
Mahmoud Mustafa Amar Gnimat | July 16, 1985 | Murder of Meir Ben-Yair and Michal Cohen while they say in a car in the Judean foothills |
Muhammad Ziad Mahmoud Gnimat | July 16, 1985 | Murder of Meir Ben-Yair and Michal Cohen while they say in a car in the Judean foothills |
Hadar Razek Ali Salah | Juny 7, 1993 | Murder of Guy Friedman |
Nufal al-Afo Musbach Shakir | July 24, 1986 | Murder of Akiva Shaltiel |
Mahmoud Muayad Salim Hijja | June 1, 1992 | Murder of Yosef Shirazi |
Najah Mohamed Muqbel | July 10, 1990 | Murder of Yaakov Shalom |
Haza'a Haza'a Mahmoud Yosef | July 28, 1985 | Murder of Yosef Eliyahu and Leah Elmakayes, two hikers trekking in the Gilboa mountains |
Abed el-Rahman Yousef al-Haj | February 21, 1992 | Murder of Gania Friedman |
Kasam Ahmed Said Abdel Aziz | February 10, 1993 | Murder of Moshe Biton, who was shot and killed after entering a convenience store. Also shot Biton's wife. |
Udia Osama Zakariah Abu-Hanana | October 28, 1992 | Murder of Moshe Biton, who was shot and killed after entering a convenience store. Also shot Biton's wife. |
Suleiman Mahmoud Yousef Turkeman | October 28, 1992 | Murder of Moshe Biton, who was shot and killed after entering a convenience store. Also shot Biton's wife. |
Gavril Issa Namer Abed al-Raba | October 22, 1984 | Murder of Revital Seri and Ron Levy while they were hiking |
Halil Muhammad Musbah Ashour | May 27, 1985 | Murder of taxi driver David Kaspi |
Ragev Amer Issa Masoud | May 19, 1993 | Murder of lawyer Ian Feinberg by brutal hacking; also convicted of murdering three suspected Israeli collaborators |
Ahmed Khaled Daoud Azraq | February 14, 1991 | Murder of Shimon Cohen |
Mahmoud Othman Abdallah Beni-Hassan | July 27, 1985 | Murder of Yosef Eliyahu and Leah Elmakayes, two hikers trekking in the Gilboa mountains |
Kaliv Israr Mustafa Samarin | August 5, 1992 | Abduction and murder of IDF soldier Tzvi Klein |
Musa Musa Azat Kar'an | August 5, 1992 | Abduction and murder of IDF soldier Tzvi Klein |
Prisoner (Age) * | Date of Arrest | Crime |
Fayez Khur (51) | May 10, 1983 | Murdered Menahem Dadon in the Gaza Strip, and was involved in the murder of Salomon Abukasis in the Gaza Strip on February 14, 1983. Sentenced to life imprisonment. |
Salah Mugdad (47) | June 14, 1993 | Murdered Israel Tenenbaum, a guard at the Sirens Hotel in Netanya. Sentenced to life imprisonment, which was then commuted to a 32-year sentence. |
Samir Na’neesh (46) | February 14, 1989 | Murdered a soldier, Binyamin Meisner, by throwing a building block at him in the Kasbah in Nablus. Sentenced to life imprisonment. |
Yusef Irshaid (45) | June 15, 1992 | Took part in the murder of a Druze Israeli citizen, Mufid Cana’an. Also took part in the murder of three Palestinians suspected of collaboration with Israel. He also planned a car bomb attack in Afula and made attempts to kidnap a soldier. Sentenced to five life imprisonments. |
Mustafa al-Haj (45) | June 17, 1989 | Stabbed Steven Frederick Rosenfeld to death with a knife close to Ariel. Sentenced to life imprisonment. |
Salameh Musleh (44) | May 20, 1991 | Took part in the murder of Reuven David in Petach Tikva, when he and his accomplice beat him to death. Sentenced to life imprisonment, which was then commuted to a 30-year sentence. |
Atiyeh abu Musa (42) | March 29, 1993 | Murdered Isaac Rotenberg with an axe on a building site in Bat Yam. Sentenced to life imprisonment. |
Salah Mukled (40) | March 29, 1993 | Stabbed Yeshayahu Deutsch to death with a knife in the hothouses of Kfar Yam. In that same year, he also carried out shooting attacks. Sentenced to life imprisonment. |
Mohemed Sawalha (40) | December 2, 1990 | Took part in a stabbing on a bus in Ramat Gan, in which Baruch Heisler was murdered and three other passengers were injured. Sentenced to life imprisonment. |
Atef Sha’ath (49) | March 12, 1993 | Collaborated in the murder of Simcha Levy. Sentenced to 29 years imprisonment. |
Yusef Abed al-Al (42) | April 18 & July 3, 1993 | Took part in the murder of Ian Feinberg in the Gaza Strip. Later he murdered a Palestinian who was suspected of collaboration. Sentenced to 22 years imprisonment. |
Midhat Barbakh (38) | January 21, 1994 | Stabbed his employer, Moshe Beker, a citrus grower from Rishon Letzion, killing him. Sentenced to life imprisonment. |
Ali Rai (56) | January 21, 1994 | Murdered Morris Eizenstat in Kfar Saba. Sentenced to life imprisonment. |
Mohamed Nashbat (52) | September 20, 1990 | Took part in the stoning and lynch of a soldier, Amnon Pomerantz, in al Burej in the Gaza Strip. Sentenced to 25 years imprisonment. |
Samir Murtaji (42) | 1993-1994 | Murdered four Palestinians who were suspected of collaboration. He was also involved in kidnapping other Palestinians suspected of collaboration. Sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. |
Hosni Sawalha (39) | December 2, 1990 | took part in a stabbing on a bus in Ramat Gan in which Baruch Heisler was murdered and three other passengers were injured. Sentenced to life imprisonment. |
Faraj Rimahi (48) | June 6, 1992 | Murdered Avraham Kinsler and planned to murder more Israeli citizens. Sentenced to life imprisonment. |
Ala Eddin Abu Sitteh (43) | December 31, 1993 | Took part in the murder of Haim Weizman and David Dadi in Ramle. After stabbing them both to death with knives, the murderers desecrated their victims’ bodies. Sentenced to two life imprisonments. |
Ayman Abu Sitteh (42) | December 31, 1993 | Took part in the murder of Haim Weizman and David Dadi in Ramle. After stabbing them both to death with knives, the murderers desecrated their victims’ bodies. Sentenced to two life imprisonments. |
Esmat Mansour (36) | October 29, 1993 | Aided the terrorist cell that murdered Haim Mizrahi in a chicken farm in Beit El. He led the murderers to a hiding place behind the chicken coops, brought rope to tie up the victim and helped them load the dead body into the trunk of the car. Sentenced to 22 years imprisonment. |
Khaled Asakreh (41) | April 29, 1991 | Murdered Annie Ley, a French tourist in Bethlehem. Sentenced to life imprisonment. |
Nihad Jundiyeh (40) | July 14, 1989 | Took part in the murder of Zalman Shlein in Gan Yavne. During questioning, he admitted to planning two more attacks that were not carried out: a stabbing in Gan Yavne and forcing a bus off a cliff. Sentenced to 25.5 years imprisonment. |
Mohamed Hamdiyeh (41) | July 14, 1989 | Took part in the murder of Zalman Shlein in Gan Yavne. Sentenced to 25.5 years imprisonment. |
Jamil Abed al-Nabi (50) | October 25, 1992 | Involved in planning and carrying out the shooting in the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. In the attack, an IDF soldier, Shmuel Gersh, was killed and another soldier wounded. Sentenced to 21 years imprisonment. |
Taher Zaboud | September 22, 1992 | Took part in a shooting near the settlement Gadish. He was also involved in an unsuccessful attempt to murder a police officer in Umm al-Fahm. Sentenced to 21 years imprisonment. |
Borhan Sabiah (42) | Convicted of murdering six suspected collaborators. Sentenced to six life imprisonments. |
Sources: Israel Prison Service (August 2013; October 2013; December 2013); JTA (August 14, 2013); Jerusalem Post (October 27, 2013); Times of Israel (December 29, 2013)
* - Names were transliterated phonetically from Hebrew, may not be properly spelled
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